Enjoy Your Newfound Fear of Polka Dots.

[rionaleonhart]

Once again, Derren Brown both fascinates me and makes me want to bury myself under ten feet of solid rock so he can't get anywhere near me. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, DERREN BROWN?

EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING IS WRONG WITH YOU.

(That bit with the ice bath! I could barely watch.)

(Derren Brown could commit so many murders and nobody would ever catch him.)

(SERIOUSLY THAT MAN IS TERRIFYING.)

If you haven't seen Derren Brown's The Assassin and feel like compelling yourself to hide under your bed for the next month, it's available here on 4oD at the moment. It has more of a focus on hypnotism than most of his other work, and it is really interesting. And really scary.

And I've just watched a clip of Derren explaining some of the thinking behind the programme (his chatting persona and his stage persona are so different! They actually speak and move differently. Incidentally, if you've wondered where his little nodding tic came from, it's because he got so into the habit of nodding to manipulate people into being compliant that now he can't stop), and when trying to explain why he chose Chris as a subject he ends up describing him as 'in a nice way, kind of an empty vessel'. Derren. We're all just pawns in your eyes, aren't we? (But I can sort of see what he means; when Chris and Other Guy were asked what the icewater experience was like, Chris kept following Other Guy's lead in describing it (Other Guy: It felt X. Chris: Yeah, it felt X), which I'd assume is a sign of suggestibility.)

He also says that Hero at 30,000 Feet was born of thinking 'oh, can't we do something nice for someone for a change?' Because in Derren's world there's nothing nicer than tying someone to some train tracks and making them think they're on a crashing plane. See also: the time he tied a young woman up in a sack and then pushed her into a lake as a 'treat'.

And then I fell asleep and dreamt that Derren Brown had brainwashed some poor girl into chasing me around with a rifle. Get out of my head!

Comments

[perrie.livejournal.com]

The Assassin was genuinely terrifying. Like, really REALLY good but SO SCARY. When the camera was on Chris in the theatre and they played the ringtone and gahhhhh. He's a criminal mastermind, I swear. Who needs a white cat to stroke when you have parrots?

[rionaleonhart]

The thing that really freaked me out, for some reason, was the really long pause between the trigger and Chris actually picking up the gun. What went on in his head? Did anything? Was that the time it took his hypnotised mind to remember that he had a gun to hand? What happened in that pause?

[perrie.livejournal.com]

i think it was possibly him remembering that he actually had a gun there. after all, every other time the trigger went off, he had either been holding a gun, or had one handed to him like derren did in the restaurant. it was really nerve wracking though!

The thing I found really interesting was how quiet everyone in the theatre was. Like, Stephen was talking, gunshots go off and no one screams? really? nobody? it was eerily quiet. they were all obviously like, oh this is clearly just a part of the show, right?

[rionaleonhart]

I was a bit surprised by the quiet reaction from the audience, too. On reflection, though, I imagine that, even if they didn't give the specifics, they would have had to tell the people at the talk that something might happen so they wouldn't all stampede or call 999.

[littlemoose.livejournal.com]

Random people chatting about it on twitter claimed to be there - apparently there was a lot of screaming and one guy tried to get on stage to help, but this was all left out in the edit.

Meanwhile I am STILL freaked out.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_princess_han_/]

He is the creepiest and scariest but also a genius and I want to see the inside of his brain.

[rionaleonhart]

It must be so strange to be Derren Brown. But not nearly as strange, I suspect, as it must be to be his boyfriend.

[bubbles-san.livejournal.com]

He must constantly wonder whether he really does like him, or whether he's simply been hypnotized into thinking he does.

It's what I would wonder.

[xavantina.livejournal.com]

I saw the trailer for this last week on Channel 4 and was freaked out plenty. Mostly because I've never actually seen anything with Derren Brown (no Derren Brown in Denmark), yet only a few seconds into the tv spot I was thinking "Oh fuck, it's that Derren Brown guy Riona is always talking about, isn't it?" and that scared me a bit.

So no, I think I'll pass, thank you.

[rionaleonhart]

Now that you are in England, you are no longer safe from him. Beware! (His programmes are absolutely fascinating, but I can understand if they're not your thing.)

[prologi.livejournal.com]

He's so creepy/scary, but in an incredibly affable way. Like an evil genius who got sorted into Hufflepuff. (He's goddamn brilliant, oh my god.)

[rionaleonhart]

It's so weird! Never before have I seen anyone who seems so simultaneously like an evil overlord and like a genuinely nice guy.

[thewaterbandit.livejournal.com]

Derren Brown is the closest thing we have to a supervillain! I am so glad that he uses his powers for good.

[rionaleonhart]

Well, for only slight evil, at least.

(I actually once received a very kind letter from Derren Brown, thanking me for, er, sending him a ukulele. Which he probably brainwashed me into doing.)

[thewaterbandit.livejournal.com]

Ohmygosh, that is the nicest thing! I bet he wrote it on a proper writing desk. With like, ravens on it or something.

I think your comment about him simultaneously being an evil overlord and a really nice guy is incredibly apt. I'd love to have him over for tea but I'm terrified of what he might do.

[bubbles-san.livejournal.com]

So how's that unicorn novel coming?

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

DERREN BROWN, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?

"I'm not actually going to kill you with hypothermia, I'm just going to see how close I can come, while hypnotizing you into comfortably going along with it. Then I'm going to re-enact The Manchurian Candidate for shits and giggles, with you in the role of Raymond Shaw! Are we having fun yet?"

HOW IS THIS REAL?

(And why does this play into so many of my fic kinks?)

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

It was somewhat sweet of him to ensure that Stephen Fry was in the room when he told Chris, so that it would be quite clear to Chris that he didn't actually kill or injure Stephen Fry. But still, that is far too Manchurian Candidate for my comfort (I liked it better when I thought hypnosis couldn't really do that).

[rionaleonhart]

He is such an alarming man. (Why - why does this play into so many of your fic kinks?)

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

(I can think of three logical explanations.

1. He implanted suggestions in my head so I remember always having a fondness for fiction about creepy mind control, hypothermia, and characters having their heads messed with so other people could do things to them and/or make them do things without them being able to remember, but I actually liked none of those things before he started on me.

2. He deliberately played to my kinks so he can get me writing fic, thereby reinvigorating the derrenbrownfic community and TAKING OVER THE WORLD! Or possibly just contributing to the creation of another TV special.

3. You used your powers to make this happen somehow in order to get more fic.)

[bubbles-san.livejournal.com]

My vote's on the last one.

Just saying.

[littlered2.livejournal.com]

He is just the scariest person. I would never dare to volunteer for one of his events, because, as you say, his idea of "doing a nice thing for you" tends to be completely terrifying and disturbing. I don't care if it builds my confidence, I don't want to be tied up and thrown into a lake!

The pause between Chris's hearing the ringtone and actually doing something was so tense. And then he shot Stephen Fry, national treasure. That must have been so disturbing for the people in the audience. I wonder if they warned them about it at all? I was surprised that nobody jumped on stage to attempt first aid, or frantically called an ambulance.

[rionaleonhart]

I know! I admire Derren greatly, but I would never, ever have the guts to put myself forward for anything he's doing. You have no idea what he might use you for! Chances are it'll be terrifying!

I assume they must have given the audience some sort of indication that they shouldn't panic if anything weird happened, because they wouldn't want them all to clog up the emergency services. Then again, it's quite possible that Derren instead bypassed that potential issue by making them all fall asleep and nicking their mobile phones.

[littlered2.livejournal.com]

I would just be terrified. "Is he going to make me lie down in an ice bath and calmly watch my heart rate slowing? Is he going to tie me to some train tracks? Am I going to shoot Stephen Fry through no volition of my own? I just don't know."

One would certainly hope so - it would just be so disturbing for them otherwise. And the 999 operators probably wouldn't have been best pleased. (While discussing Weird Behaviour in the prgramme, why did he take the gun? I know you would think, "oh, it's for TV, it's fine", but I like to think I'd question the legality of my being given a loaded handgun to take into a public place.)

Re. your title, I was at a comedy thing in Brighton this evening and two of the women performing (onstage at the same time) were wearing blue-and-white polka-dot dresses. I worried I was going to shoot someone for a bit.

[serriadh.livejournal.com]

oh GOD that was so frightening. I don't understand why people aren't more scared when they go along to these things and get selected as subjects.

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

My reaction to having my hand shoot out and fling what I thought was a vial of acid at someone's face would involve far more screaming than anyone on the show ever demonstrates.

[serriadh.livejournal.com]

They didn't even do their usual 'We spoke to these people afterwards and offered them ALL THE COUNSELLING to make sure they weren't too upset about how we brainwashed them into vitriol-throwing maniacs' voiceover.

Though I liked the Sherlock-style onscreen text. "Here Derren is being VERY CLEVER and also scary".

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that would have been comforting. I know that if I'd been hypnotized into doing something like that, I'd definitely at least need someone to sit with me until I stopped crying and reassure me I wasn't a terrible person.

The text was quite good. Also, that would be a highly alarming crossover.

[rionaleonhart]

It's bizarre! It's as if Derren exudes some sort of weird anaesthetic, which of course makes him even scarier.

[darkest-alchemy.livejournal.com]

"See also: the time he tied a young woman up in a sack and then pushed her into a lake as a 'treat'."
Wasn't the making that cat-loving woman think she'd electrocuted the kitten a treat too?

This may be giving me thoughts of writing Victorian!Moriarty!Derren fic now.

[rionaleonhart]

It was! When Derren Brown is Father Christmas, the nice children end up crying just as much as the naughty ones.

Derren makes such a good Moriarty. I highly encourage your thoughts!

[darkest-alchemy.livejournal.com]

No Santa, I don't want your presents! *runs away screaming*

Erm, it appears that I may have written this. I may even dare to post it in a bit.

[shark-hat.livejournal.com]

I am not comfortable being in the same country as Derren Brown, he could get me at any time, he could be in my house now and have messed with my brain so I don't even realise, aagh, (I seriously couldn't even watch this and just from your descriptions I am v. glad)
And yet SO HOT.

[rionaleonhart]

It was a really fascinating programme, but, yes, also completely horrifying. Nobody should have that much power over other people!

[dracothelizard.livejournal.com]

I STILL can't figure out if he's secretly the Doctor or secretly the Master.

[rionaleonhart]

It's a good question! He seems to be the Master when he's working and the Doctor when he's being filmed casually or interviewed. What a strange man.